RANGELEY – Rangeley Lakes Regional School and the Rangeley Education Association agreed this week to a new contract for the school’s support staff.

Superintendent Ken Coville said the school’s contract with members of the support staff was ratified Tuesday. The contract has been under negotiation since July 2002.

It includes 18 full- and part-time employees who work as bus drivers, maintenance staff, educational technicians, custodians and kitchen staff.

The new contract will be effective from Sept. 1, 2002 through Aug. 31, 2005.

The contract included a wage increase of 4 percent for support staff and 4.5 percent for bus drivers during each year of the agreement.

In addition, the “average increased cost of health insurance benefits is 25 percent per covered employee,” Coville said.

In the agreement, the salary increases are immediately retroactive to July 1, 2003. As part of the agreement, the School Committee and members of the Rangeley Education Association plan to bring the retroactive pay due to employees for the 2002-2003 school year before residents during a special town meeting.

“The funds are available in undesignated/unexpended balances from the 2002-2003 school year,” Coville said.

The cost of the retroactive salaries and health insurance benefits for 2002-2003 will be $15,468.31.

Copy the Story Link